Responding to political crisis, a chorus of voices, such as Italy’s Five Star Movement, are calling for a transition to the direct participation that the Internet has made possible. However, the two systems should complement, rather than compete against each other. – by Juan Carlos De Martin, La Stampa, Turin

“A rise in xenophobic, populist parties, high abstention rates, an increase in corruption and a distrust of political elites […] all bear witness to a democratic malaise in Europe, aggravated by the socio-economic crisis,” says Belgian daily La Libre Belgique summing up the conclusions of a report on democracy in the European Union. The report, requested by socialist and democrat MEPs, was carried out by Demos, a British think tank, and published on September 26.

The Association for Societal Participation is a non-partisan international NGO, founded in Budapest. Its aim is to help to create a more direct and transparent democratic form of government using the possibilites given by the Internet.

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